The FDA-approved preservative sorbic acid is being replaced by natamycin, which Kraft says is a "natural mold inhibitor." The change affects Kraft’s full-fat American and White American varieties, which the company says account for the majority of the brand's sales.
“We know families today want convenient foods that have no artificial preservatives and a simpler, more recognizable ingredient list, and it’s important that we provide better-for-you choices for our fans,” Jody Moore, spokesperson for Kraft’s Dairy & Cheese division, told FoodNavigator-USA.
Kraft will start rolling out ads at the end of February touting the cheese as free of artificial preservatives. The new cheese line will hit supermarket shelves within the next few weeks and will have a red circle on its packaging to indicate it is free of artificial preservatives.
The move comes just days after Subway announced it would phase out use of the controversial dough improver azodicarbonamide, and two months after Kraft announced it was removing artificial colors from some of its macaroni and cheese products.
When asked about a possible timeline for removing all artificial preservatives from its cheese products, Moore replied, “we are always looking to innovate and deliver new offerings to our consumers, but we don’t have any other information to share at this time on future varieties.”